Soft Lips
by Apples Who Dance With Oranges
Summary: The Lieutenant was left defeated after the Equalists were crushed, with nowhere to turn he goes into hiding in hopes he'll find a new meaning in life. When he discovers he can now Airbend he begins to questions his past and future, now he must decide if he should stop the newly risen extremist group all while being hunted down by a certain obsessed United Forces Captain.


**Chapter One. I thought this would be an interesting idea for a story so lets see how you all like it! I haven't written in a long time so don't be too harsh with the criticism on my grammar and I hope you all enjoy the story!**

The early morning fog rolled across the open sea water and swept into town gently as the early morning merchants were already starting their day. Merchant's Pier had been a small port side village many years ago, but within the past years it had become a busy port side city. Nothing that the city folks from Republic City would enjoy, but a pleasant sight for merchants and sailors who had been traveling at sea for many weeks.

"Every day I get up earlier and earlier," The hooded man muttered lowly in annoyance as he slowly glided past two sailors who were struggling to unload a wooden weaved basket of freshly caught fish. The hooded man groaning lowly at the disgusting stench of rotting fish from the small merchant carts that weren't doing so well with selling their goods.

The man wore a pair of worn out boots that made it obviously that he was a traveler who couldn't afford a riding animal, or satomobile. He wore a pair of tan pants that fit him well, with a black leather belt, he wore a black sleeveless shirt with a gray long sleeved shirt over it that showed off his undershirt slightly and had the sleeves rolled back a quarter way, and a large dark gray hooded jacket that had black trimming. Slung over is right shoulder was a old worn out olive green bag that looked like it had been poorly packed in a rush. The man's face looked tired, his eyes were his most drawing feature besides his mustache as they were very clear and although they carried a painful glare many would compliment on their beauty.

People called him a lost traveler now, but sometime ago he was known as something more.

He was once a leader for a nobel cause.

A warrior.

Now, he was just a lost soul trying his best to find some sort of path in the trap people called life.

"You ever get tired of running?" A women working one of the street carts asked curious as she received an odd stare in return. Grinning at him she motioned at his worn out boots, he chuckled a halfhearted laugh before continuing his way down the street.

The people here were kind and even though the were all business related merchants he ran into a free meal here and there. Due to the frequent visits that United Forces Naval ships would make to the port he never stayed in town very often, but would make his way to stop by every month or so. Although, he was on the run he liked too at least have one place that sorta felt like home.

"Heard an United Forces ship is coming in soon, better get ready too get cleaned out!" A local fisherman laughed loudly at the local tavern owner who shook his head and grinned at the sudden business he'd get whenever the ship full of anxious sailors would arrive.

The hooded man sighed heavily as once again he'd be chased out of another place he called home and with this he started to head out. It wasn't long for him to reach the main road that led out of the port city and within ten minutes the smell of sea water was almost a distant thing. The idea of being in the same city as the United Forces was a unpleasant idea for him, especially with him being a sudden interest to them. It had been nearly a year since the ruckus they had shaken up and all of a sudden he was suddenly a _threat._

"Did you know that the alpha Armadillo Lion only keeps his title by fighting off challengers nearly every day?" A voice called out gently in a hush voice as the hooded man stopped in his footsteps, "The only way he can stay within power is by winning and the only way he can keep the respect of his pack is by slaying the fallen. You were once prideful and one of the alpha leaders of a revolutionary pack, but one fatal match and you lost everything. Just like a fallen Armadillo Lion you've lost the respect of your pack and now look at you... A pathetic wanderer."

The hooded man shifted in his old worn out boots as he slowly dropped his bag near his feet and looked around to see the source of these harsh icy words, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"The Lieutenant. A once fierce warrior of the Equalists movement, a respected and honorable man who fought for a cause, now lowered to this."

The voice was cold.

Fierce.

Unforgiving.

"You must have the wrong guy."

"You're right," The voice answered back as a figure emerged from a near by alleyway, "The Lieutenant I first met those months ago would never have allowed himself to lower to such scum."

His muscles became tense upon seeing the face of someone he would much rather go his whole lifetime without seeing ever again. A women who had caused his life much stress and paranoia. She wore the red and white uniform of a United Forces Officers, the rank insignia on her shoulders and collar made it obvious she was a Captain, and the way she carried herself made it clear she knew how to handle herself. Her skin was pale as her Fire Nation origin was obvious, her amber eyes were fierce as they glared through his very soul, and her jet black hair blew in the chilly early morning wind. He watched her as his gaze fell upon the beauty mark right above her soft lips, he once wondered what it would feel like to kiss them but that was before he discovered what a ruthless and heartless women she was.

She fought for his blood.

At first it was just an order, but now it was an obsession.

"How are you doing this morning, Ryker?" She snarled with a grin as very few knew his real name.

Ryker groaned lowly as every time they met had escaped, but every fierce dance they shared he could feel himself slipping more and more. While he slept on the streets allowing his skills to deteriorate, she slept on a fully armored battleship training daily. While he wandered the land without meaning, she had rose throughout rank and gained praised by her superiors. While he was haunted by nightmares every night, she laid in bed trying to predict his next move.

He hated seeing those beautifully soft lips.

"Captain Yui," Ryker muttered lowly with a stressful sigh, "What brings you here?"

She was a star cadet at the Academy who out shun every other cadet that attempted to compete with her, rising through the ranks with such ease that many questioned if she was performing special favors for her superiors. Joining the Army branch of the United Forces she had volunteered for many raids against bandits and paramilitary forces. Her dedication in obliterating the last remaining Equalists strongholds after the revolution gained her fame and a special assignment. It was unheard of that an officer so young like her would be receiving a joint task-froce unit, an Army company under her command and a medium-class Naval battleship with a fully functioning crew.

Cadets yearned to be like her.

Enlisted men wanted to be with her.

Her seniors desired to have her position.

Ryker simply wished for her to disappear.

Or to be eaten by a pack of Armadillo Lions, whichever came first.

"Today is the day I make you bleed!" Yui cried out as the two had thirteen encounters so far. Yui only counted three of them as true encounters as those were the only ones where the two of them had faced off, the others were times where her subordinates had attempted to capture him but had failed due to his ability so slip away within urban environments.

"Not gonna have that baby faced Second Lieutenant, or that grandfather of a First Sergeant give me a swing?" Ryker stated in a mocking tone as under Yui's command was a young twenty year old Officer who had just graduated the Academy and was placed under her command due too ranking the top of his class as a non-bender. The other one of her subordinates was a First Sergeant who had spent twenty years in the United Forces and could of made a fine officer if he didn't enjoy drinking and throwing rocks at his younger soldiers.

"No," She snarled annoyingly as the two had failed on several occasions to capture him, "I think I'll just burn you myself!"

Red was all he saw as she unleashed an unbearably hot heat blast from her first.

Stumbling back he barely avoided the tickling flames that she emitted from her body. Ripping open his old travel bag he pulled out his signature electrified kali sticks, but sadly the mobile generator that powered them had been fried to a crisp after his last encounter with the hotheaded captain. Not having a way too temporally stun her would make fighting her much more difficult, especially with her high tolerance of pain.

"All of your followers have given up!" She growled as she leaped forward unleashing several streams of fire from her first, followed by a swift kick which nearly took his head off.

Fearful to get close to her, Ryker kept his distance choosing to avoid her attacks instead of moving in for an attack, "Then why don't you just leave me alone?"

She laughed loudly as she rushed in for an uppercut, but had her attack redirected when Ryker used one kali stick to block her punch upwards and the other to swipe her legs out from under her. Yui quickly caught herself with her hands and entered a full swinging circular motion, unleashing a whirl wind of fire that Ryker just barely avoided.

His breathing was heavy.

His heart was pounding.

He was loosing his edge.

And she knew it.

"No loose ends," Yui snickered lowly as the demonic look in her eyes always gave him the chills.

Yui rushed in unleashing a fierce blast that sent Ryker flying back and crashing into the side of a building. Pain surged through his body as he hit the ground with great force, the sudden sensation of heat filled his body as he could see her neatly polished boots coming within his vision. Her low laughter ringing throughout his head as he could tell she had finally gotten one up on him, but at least he would die within the walls of the town he called home.

Home...

"I've been waiting for this moment for months," Yui muttered with a grin as she prepared to finish him off.

_Luck was one thing._

_Fate was a whole different thing though._

Ryker shot his hands up in some hope of defending himself, but the result he got was something not even he imagined.

Wind.

A gust of wind shot from his hands and sent the prideful firebender flying through a nearby store wall, her cry of pain echoing loudly as it was a rare sound to be heard. Ryker's eyes became wide for the first time in months as he had never experienced such a feeling in so long. What he felt wasn't that helpless feeling he had been feeling for so long, it was a feeling of power.

A feeling of hope.

Then he realized what he had just done.

He just Airbended.

"Imp-Impossibe."

Yui slowly stood up from the pile of rubbish she had been buried under, her fist engulfed by fire and a demonic glare within her eyes, "What did you just do?"

"I-I..." Ryker stuttered in shock.

He had been fighting benders for so long that he wasn't sure how to felt about this. It had been so long since he had taken arms up against benders out of pure hatred and now it was simply out of selfdefense. He had never forgotten his Equalists days, the raids he had led, the pain he and delivered, and the fear he had established.

Yet, now he was one of them.

Ryker wasn't sure how, or why he could suddenly bend; but he didn't care at the moment. The only thing that mater now was that he could escape from the insane clutches of Yui and once he was able to accomplish that then he would figure out what was going on with this newly discovered talent... Or curse, whatever it was.

"Men capture him!" Yui cried out as he knew she was a sore loser and her men were never far from her. Emerging from every street corner and store possible came both bending and non-bending soldiers of the United Forces who had been assigned under her command. Ryker didn't known the proper form of airbending, but he knew that these soldiers weren't properly trained on how to fight one. Taking a firm stance he quickly began to wave his hands through the air and with one swift motion he unleashed a tornado like blast of wind all around him.

The soldiers cried out in shock at the sudden attack as they were sent flying all throughout the street. Yui and six other soldiers were the only ones left standing after the fierce attack, all of them gasping for air as it took all of their strength to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground. Ryker was unsure what else he could do with his airbending, but what he was sure of that he could use it as a means to escape.

"Until next time," Ryker stated with a grin.

"I'll gut you like a pig next time!" Yui spat angrily as she fired off one blast of fire, but was left in despair as the former Equalists member launched himself high into the air with one blast of wind and within seconds he was gone onto of the roof tops.

"Those damn lips," Ryker muttered as he ran across the roof tops with every step he took aided by a blast of wind.


End file.
